Future Horizons
by RainEStar3
Summary: Moving to a new town can be hard, especially if it's in another country on the other side of the world. But Akio will have to adapt, because in his new town, only the strongest cardfighters survive. Which he'll have to learn from everyone he meets in Card Shop Horizons, no matter how arrogant, carefree, or aggressive they are. And just maybe, he'll last until the end of summer.
1. Stand 1: New Town, New Life

**Welcome, to the beginning of a journey.**

 **Are you prepared to discover a new world?**

 **Are you prepared to find new friends, allies, and enemies?**

 **Are you ready to see what lies over the horizons?**

 **If you answered yes to all of these questions, you are ready to begin this journey.**

 **It's time to take the first step.**

 **Stand 1! New Country, New Life!**

* * *

A pothole in the road jostled Akio out of his nap. The car bounced and shook as his dad continued at an even pace down the rough road.

"I thought were going to live in a city, not the country," Akio complained. He put a mouth over his hand to stifle a yawn.

"Be patient, Akio," his dad replied. The man's attention never wavered from the road. "We're not there yet. Besides, Japan is famous for its many scenic routes. Enjoy the view, take a picture or something."

"No, thanks," Akio replied as he leaned the back of his head on the headrest and leaned his seat back until it rested against the boxes in the backseat. "I'm going back to my nap. Wake me when we reach the thatched roofs." Akio closed his eyes and slowly drifted into sleep.

"Akio! We're here!"

Akio groaned and opened his eyes, squinting as the afternoon sun poured in from his window. He opened the car door and stepped onto the pavement of the driveway. Looking at the house, he commented, "The place looks alright." Contrary to his expectations, the house was not a restored building from feudal japan. It was a standard modern house, and aside from the distinctly Japanese designs and trimmings, it wouldn't look out of place in his old neighborhood in the United States.

"Some of our furniture is already inside," Akio's dad informed him. "Grabs your bags and start putting stuff away. I'll handle whatever's left."

Now most budding teenaged boys would take this moment to demonstrate their physical strength and declare that they were capable of moving the rest of the bags in. Akio, however, was not one of those teens. He left his thickly-built dad to do the heavy lifting while he went to the door with a backpack on his back and a duffle bag in each hand. He grasped the door handle awkwardly and tried to step inside, but he realized that the door was locked.

"Hey, dad! Where are the keys?" he called over his shoulder.

"Catch!"

Akio dropped the duffles instinctively as he stretched out his hands to catch the keys. But due to poor coordination or a strike of bad luck, the keys bounced off his outstretched fingers and flew into his face.

"You okay?" his dad asked.

Akio caught the keys before they could bounce to another inconvenient location. "I'm fine," he replied as he rubbed the pain out of the bridge of his nose. "It missed my eye, this time." Akio unlocked the door, picked up his bags, and stepped inside the house.

The house was empty except for a few scattered pieces of furniture covered in thin white sheets. Akio didn't waste time taking in the sights; as soon as he spotted the staircase he heaved himself and his bags up to the next floor. He peeked into the first bedroom he saw and found his dressers and bed already moved inside. "I'll move these around later," he said as he let his bags fall to the ground. He flopped down on his bed and looked at the unfamiliar trees and buildings outside his window.

"Well, it looks like I'm officially living in Japan now," he said with a sigh.

* * *

It wasn't until the next day that Akio decided to step outside of the house and explore the town.

"Do you want me to come with?" his dad ask as Akio started towards the door.

Akio shook his head. "I'll be home by dinner," he said as he stepped outside.

Since Akio didn't have a map or any other way of finding his way around, he decided to walk to where he could see the largest buildings. As he exited the endless row of houses he found himself unwittingly walking along the town's major road. After walking down the first few rows of buildings, Akio began to realize the importance of where he walked. On his left, where the sun was rising overhead, most of the buildings were decked out in white and gold. But to his right, past the dark grey strip of pavement, almost every building was decorated in a black and icy blue color scheme.

"Someone with very strange fashion sense must have designed this town," Akio commented as he observed the stark color clash. "I guess the east side is white and golden for the sun, and the west side is dark toned for the night, or sunset, or something, but it's a real bother on the eyes to look at."

"Look! Card Shop Beacon is holding a shop tournament!"

Akio turned to see a group of young teens around his age crowded around a nearby telephone pole. "Card Shop?" he echoed softly.

"I'm definitely going to participate!" said one of the teens.

"Yeah! They have some of the strongest cardfighters this side of town!" said another.

"I'd say they have the best cardfighters in the _entire_ town!"

"Let's head over there to cardfight!"

The group moved in a swarm, presumably to the card shop they had mentioned.

"Cardfight…" Akio echoed.

* * *

" _Hey, son."_

 _Akio looked up to see his father standing over him. Despite his large build, the man moved with the stealth of a cat. "Hey, dad," the boy replied noncommittally. He returned his eyes to the steps of the house as he watched a parade of ants march across the stones._

" _I found something very interesting while I was in town today."_

" _What?" Akio asked emotionlessly._

 _His father reached into his pocket and took out a deck of cards. Akio immediately recognized that they weren't ordinary playing cards. "You've ever heard of Cardfight Vanguard?"_

" _Yeah," Akio replied. "It's a big thing in… Japan."_

 _Akio's father watched as his son struggled to keep his face expressionless. "You know, your mother always wanted us to get some authentic Japanese Vanguard cards," he said. "She wanted us to be able to know the history, present, and future of her home country, and this game pretty much defines the present. Who know, maybe it'll even cover the future."_

 _Akio gave no response as he continued staring at the ants._

 _His dad put the cards down on the steps and turned to head inside. "Well, until we can go to Japan, I guess we'll have to do with cheap American cards, eh?"_

 _After his dad had let the door swing closed, Akio reached over and wrapped over the deck. "Cardfight, Vanguard…"_

* * *

Akio quickly checked his pockets, and then realized that he had left his deck packed in one of his bags. "Oh well, I've been needing to get japanese cards anyway," he said. "Might as well take the opportunities as they come."

Akio followed the group from a distance. While he felt a little weird stalking them, he needed to find the card shop and it would be very awkward if he randomly walked up to them. So he made sure to stay several buildings behind them and avoid staring at them.

In a matter of minutes-or so he supposed, since he had no real way of keeping track of time, he found himself standing in front of a large two story building. Above the building's sliding glass doors was a large sign that read "Card Shop Beacon" in both English and Japanese. The words were in bright gold that shone on the sign's white background.

The rest of the building was just as brightly colored. The majority of the shop was covered in pearly whiteness, while the color of gold trimmed the windows, doors, and the many artistic designs that covered the building's wall.

"Someone definitely had too much fun with this," said Akio as he shook his head. He stepped inside in the shop.

"Welcome to Card Shop Beacon! We bring the light to everyone through our cardfights!"

Akio nearly jumped back out through the doors. He turned his head to see a blonde, middle-aged woman sitting at a register next to the entrance. The woman's smile shined as brightly as the light that streamed from the glass doors. "I don't recognize your face, are you new?" The woman asked in a voice that dripped with curiosity suited for someone two decades younger than the age she appeared to be.

Akio nodded hesitantly. His heart was still pounding from the scare the woman had given him. "I just moved to town yesterday," Akio replied. Then he remembered that people in Japan greeted their elders by bowing, so he dipped my head in a quick bow. "Pleased to meet you, Miss."

The woman laughed, her BLANK eyes twinkling. "There's no need for you to be formal around me," she said with a smile. "Call me Hina! Everyone is friends here at Card Shop Beacon!"

Akio looked around at the many young cardfighters in the shop. Most of them looked like they were still in elementary school. "Uh... great?" Akio responded with no small amount of perplexity.

"Did you come to participate in our tournament?" Hina asked eagerly.

Akio shook his head. "I was just exploring around town. And I'm not really a great player." He didn't add that it would be embarrassing to struggle in a tournament full of kids half his size.

"Oh, it doesn't matter!" Hina exclaimed. "The tournament has a division for every skill level! Which clan do you use?"

"Well, I use the Nova Grapplers-"

"Cool!" Hina exclaimed. "Not too many of our fighters use that clan, but I've seen some people do really well with the aggressive play style of the Nova Grapplers! You should totally join our contest!"

"Yeah…" Akio eloquently remarked. "But I'm afraid I don't have my deck on me. So…" He shrugged.

"Don't worry, I can lend you a trial deck so you can go a few rounds!" Hina informed him.

"Th-thanks, but I wanted to spend my day exploring town," Akio replied. He bowed. "Sorry."

"There's no need to apologize!" said Hina with a shake of her head that sent her blonde curls bouncing madly. "Go on and have a great day! Just remember, my shop's doors are always open! Come back any time!"

Akio bowed again before leaving. Once he was sure that he was out of sight, he rubbed his hands over his ears. "No woman in her thirties should be able to sound that high-pitched and loud," he said as he tried to correct his shattered hearing. "I'm definitely not going back there unless I absolutely have to."

Akio decided to continue his walk where he left off and headed back to the dividing road. Then, while looking over at the other side, he decided to see if the darker side of town was any better than the blindingly bright side he was currently on. He crossed over... and found that it was pretty much the same, aside from radically different color scheme, of course.

"At least sightseeing is going to be easier on the eyes," he commented as he continued his stroll. He saw many small shops along his walk, but there was nothing that made the darker side town substantially different from the brighter side.

"What's this?" Akio asked aloud as he spotted a sign on a telephone pole. "Cardfighting… and Card Shop Shadows? Hm, maybe I'll be able to get my cards from there. But this address… without a map or something… how am I supposed to use it?"

"Need some help, kid?"

Akio turned around to see an overweight man with long, messy grey hair peering over him. The distance between was so small that Akio could almost see the man's eyes underneath his bushy eyebrows. Akio jumped back with a yelp.

"Ho ho, didn't mean to frighten you," the man said with a laugh. "It's just that you looked a little lost."

"Well, I'm trying to find a place called Card Shop Shadows," said Akio. "But I'm a bit new to the area. I don't suppose you've heard of it?"

The man scratched his bald chin. "Actually, I know the place very well," he replied. "And you're very close to it. Just go down this road until you reach the florist, make a right, and go straight down until you see the shop. You won't miss it, trust me."

"Thanks!" Akio replied. He took off in a jog, eager to finally get his authentic Japanese cards.

The grey-haired man stifled a laugh and shook his head as he walked away.

* * *

Akio eyed the entrance to the card shop warily. While Card Shop Beacon had been impeccably bright, Card Shop Shadows was shrouded in darkness.

Literally.

The two-story shop was painted several shades of grey darker than the surrounding buildings. It's walls were the color of coal, and had the grainy texture to match. Gothic patterns and spider-web designs spanned across the building in a shiny obsidian color. Below the windows of the second story was a sign that read "Card Shadows" in icy blue print, which made it stand out among the otherwise dark and dull coloring of its surroundings.

"Maybe this one won't have a crazy person behind the counter." Akio tried to reassure himself to stay positive. "After all, a place this dark and creepy can't have anything but dull, ordinary people." Pep talk completed, he bravely stepped inside the shop.

"Welcome to Card Shop Shadows, young one."

To Akio's credit, he did not scream. Instead, he jumped high enough to hit his head on a ledge that protruded from the top of the door frame. Then he sank to his knees, groaned, and gave the floor intimate contact with his face.

"Are you hurt?"

Akio groaned again as he pulled his face from the floor. "I think so," he replied as he climbed to his feet. He glanced around the card shop, and found that once again the majority of the cardfighters were children. And most of them had stopped what they were doing to watch him. He gave a hesitant smile and wave, and then turned to the person who had welcomed him to the shop.

Piercing dark grey eyes stared back at him. The gaze was so sharp he could swear it was cutting into his very soul. "Once again, I welcome you to my shop," the owner of the eyes said. "My name is Miss Yuzuki Jinseimoto."

Akio pulled back his focus to take in the speaker's full appearance. Standing behind the register was a woman with long, silky black hair. Her purple lips were pursed in thoughtfulness, and her eyes... well, they were what they were. "H-Hello," Akio greeted her as he gave a hasty bow.

The woman's lips curled in a way that Akio could not call a smile. "An American for sure, if my senses do not betray me," she said.

"Yeah..." Akio replied sheepishly. "Is it really that obvious?"

"Your Japanese is very good, but your accent is strong," she replied. Her eyes remained trained on his, never wavering, with an unreadable glint. "And your face betrays your heritage."

Akio nodded. "You're good," he complimented her.

"It is a simple observation," she replied. "Now, what brings you to my shop? Perhaps a you are looking for Cardfight?" I opened my mouth to reply, but she held up a hand and closed her eyes. "No, that is obviously not right. You are not here for a challenge, so perhaps you came to find something else here?"

Akio waited for her continue.

The woman opened her eyes. "Well? What did you come here for? It is rude to leave a woman waiting"

Akio took a half step back. "Sorry," he apologized. "I thought you were going to tell me what I came here to do."

"Why would I do that?" She asked. "I asked you the question for a reason. I'm not psychic."

Akio scratched the back of his head awkwardly as his cheeks gave a rosy glow. "Oh, well I... I was just looking around town," Akio replied. "I'm new here, so I just wanted to see what was in the area."

"But you are a cardfighter." The woman's tone made it clear that this wasn't a question.

"Kinda... I'm not really that good."

"Well, if you wish to sharpen your skills, we have several trial decks-"

Akio waved his hands. "I'm good, but thanks," he said. "I... I think I'll explore around town a bit more. It was nice to meet you miss."

"Goodbye, young one. Our paths will cross again, in the future."

A chill ran up Akio's back as she said those words. He gave a quick bow and stepped outside, heading back to the main road.

"First I'm smothered in smiles, now I'm shivering in fear," he muttered to myself. "Is there any card shop here that is normal?"

"You could check out Card Shop Horizons!"

Akio whirled around to see a familiar wide-waisted man with long and messy gray hair standing behind him. Akio jumped back in surprise. "Where did you come from?" he asked. For a heavyset guy, Akio was surprised by his stealth. "And what are you doing here?" Akio added, factoring in the possibility that the man was stalking him.

"I'm grocery shopping!" The man replied with a smile. Akio couldn't help but notice that the man wasn't carrying any bags, and they were a good walk away from the market. "And I couldn't help but overhear your question. This town's crazy about cardfighting, but Card Shop Horizons is a very tame place for fighters who aren't ready to deal with the madness. If you go right down this road you'll see a sign pointing you in the right direction; you can't miss it!"

Akio looked down the street and mulled over the man's words. It certainly was tempting, the chance to find a shop that wasn't run by a crazy woman. "I think I'll do that," he said as he turned back around. "Thanks mister-" Akio paused when he realized the man had disappeared while his back was turned. "Okay..." he said slowly as he looked around failed to find the potential stalker. "Well, hopefully the card shop is as tame as he said. I don't think I can deal with any more surprises."

* * *

For the third time that day, Akio found himself standing in front of an authentic japanese card shop, hoping that he would be able to walk in, buy his japanese-print cards, and walk out. The building before him was certainly less fancy than the previous shops. It was built from top to bottom of dark, aged wood. The curves of the shingles on the sloped roofs made the building appear to be pulled straight out of a history book. The windows and their frames were definitely of modern design, and so was the door, but the building still managed to hold that charm of japanese culture.

The door was made of wood instead of glass, so Akio could only hope that there would be no surprises waiting for him inside. "Please don't have a crazy lady sitting near the door. Please don't have a crazy lady sitting near the door." With this mantra on his lips, the teen stepped into the shop.

"Prepare to face your end! This is the Final Turn!"

Akio winced and almost ran right back out, but then he realized that although the voice was feminine, it didn't come from nearby him. A quick look to his side revealed that the register next to the door was abandoned. Akio turned back to the rest of the shop, and was rewarded by the sight he had dreamed of.

Several tables and chairs were laid out as fighters of varying ages went about their cardfighting. While elementary school kids still dominated the shop, he could easily find some players his age. One of such players was currently facing off against a tall, blond teenaged girl who had confidence written all over face. Said face, by the way, had no Japanese features to speak of. And when Akio thought about it, her japanese had a heavy accent too.

"I call Dual Axe Archdragon to my rear guard! And behind him I call Mahoraga! I also call Kimnara!"

 **[Dual Axe Archdragon - 10000]**

 **[Demonic Dragon Mage, Mahoraga - 5000]**

 **[Demonic Dragon Mage, Kimnara - 6000]**

"And using Kimnara's skill, I counterblast and put him in the soul. Now, I'll be forcing Lollipop from the field!"

"Not again," said her opponent, a boy with blue-grey hair that was cropped around his ears. As he placed the card into the drop zone, Akio could clearly see the boy's fear in his golden eyes were wide with fear despite the glint of his glasses.

"Yes, again," the blonde replied with a smirk. "But that's not all, now I activate my Avatar's soulblast! Five cards go out, and I'll be retiring your Battle Sister, Pudding! Eat up, my dragon of destruction!"

"She's got you now!" Akio turned to see a smaller boy with bright pink hair hugging the back of a chair as he watched the battle intensely. "Rachel isn't the Card Shop Champion for nothing. You really shouldn't have challenged her."

"I can win this," said the blue-haired boy. "I can still guard without my intercept."

"Yeah, but did you forget that four of my units on the field get a power bonus when your rearguards are retired, Susumu?" The blonde asked.

"Of course not!" Her opponent replied indignantly. He pushed his wire-rim glasses up his nose. "However, according to my calculations you'll have to pull a critical trigger or a double trigger in your drive check if you want to deal the final 2 damage. Give me your best shots, Rachel. Hit me with your strongest attacks! I will not be defeated so easily!"

The grin on the blonde's face stretched even wider. "Oh, I'm not done yet."

Susumu took a step back. "What?"

"I was going to launch an all out assault now, but since you told me you were ready to guard, I'll have to stay on my main phase for a bit longer," Rachel explained she pointed a card at Susumu's remaining rearguard. "Battle Sister, Waffle needed to leave the field first.

"But you can't do anything!" Susumu exclained. "You've already used your soul blast, and I know you don't have another copy of Kimnara in your hand. You can't retire my last rearguard when she's in the back row!"

Rachel facepalmed. "Idiot! Never say your opponent can't do something when they obviously know their own deck better than you do." She grinned again. "Now, prepare to get schooled. I call Gattling Claw Dragon!"

 **[Gattling Claw Dragon - 4000]**

"An extra four thousand boost for your vanguard means that one trigger will win you the game!" Susumu exclaimed in realization.

Rachel shook her head. "I just told you that I'm going to target your rearguard! Were you even listening? Pay attention and learn something! Using Gattling Claw Dragon's skill, I use up my last counterblast, move him to the soul, and retire an opponent's grade zero rearguard!"

Susumu nearly dropped his cards in shock. "No! This can't be!"

"Just move Waffle of the field already," Rachel ordered.

"Intense isn't it?" The pink haired boy asked Akio. "Rachel's crushing that guy so badly that he'll think twice before challenging her again."

"I guess," Akio replied. He could swear he could feel Rachel's intensity heating up the air around the table. "But I didn't really see the other turns, so I wouldn't know."

"Just take a look at the field," the boy replied with a laugh. "Susumu is only at grade two and is sitting at four damage, while Rachel is at grade three and only at two damage."

Akio blinked. Then he looked at the field. True to the boy's words, Rachel only had two face down cards in the damage zone. "Wait, I don't remember seeing her ride this turn," Akio said in surprise. "Was her opponent grade locked or something? How long as this match been going on?"

"They're only on the…" The boy counted off on his fingers. "Fifth? Rachel superior rode to grade three on her second turn… which was the third turn of the game. Yup! Definitely fifth turn!"

"She pulled of a superior ride?" Akio echoed. "Isn't that like, near impossible? Or at least very difficult, especially so quickly?"

The younger boy shrugged. "She does it all the time, so I don't think it's too special," he replied.

Akio could only watch in awe as the match played out before him.

"First Dual Axe Archdragon will attack with support from Mahoraga! Due to Mahoraga's skill, he's at twenty thousand power! And due to Dual Axe Archdragon's skill, there's another three thousand!"

 **[5000 + 15000 + 10000 + 3000 = 33000] vs [8000]**

"A column of over three thousand power!" Akio exclaimed breathlesly.

"It's cool, isn't it?" the kid said with a nod. "It takes a near perfect formation for Rachel to get this much power in her attacks. I wonder when this guy's going to realize that Rachel's way out of his league?"

"No guard!" Susumu declared.

[ **Damage Check - Battle Sister Cocoa, No Trigger** ]

"Now my avatar attacks, and with his skill, he gets an extra nine thousand! Blazing Flare Dragon, tear him apart and feast on his flesh!"

 **[10000 + 9000 = 19000] vs [8000]**

"It's nullified!"

 **[Battle Sister Cocoa - Nullify]**

Rachel leaned back. "Huh, so you kept that nullify a secret from me. That means all of this talk about calculations was a bluff to make me think you only had trigger shielding in hand. Clever." The corners Rachel's lips curled up in a smirk. "But you only have one card in hand. Assuming it's not a quintet wall, You won't be able to stop my final attack. Which means a critical trigger will win the game for me. Actually, a stand trigger would too, since your vanguard only has eight thousand power."

"It's unwise to put your trust in uncontrollable luck," said Susumu. "You've been lucky so far, but I will survive this turn."

"We'll let the cards decide on that. Now, Twin drive! First check!"

 **[Drive Check - Iron Tail Dragon, No Trigger]**

"Nothing there, but I still have another chance!"

"Good luck, you'll need it," said Susumu snarkily.

Rachel quickly flipped up the deciding card.

 **[Drive Check - Flame Seed Salamander, Stand Trigger]**

"Thanks for the luck bonus Susumu, I got a stand trigger!" The grin on Rachel's face bordered maniacal while Susumu blanched in horror. "All to Dual Axe Archdragon! Now he attacks your vanguard, Mocha! With his skill, he's up to eighteen thousand."

 **[10000 + 3000 + 5000 = 18000] vs [8000]**

"A heal trigger can save me!" Susumu lifted the top card of his deck.

 **[Drive Check - Battle Sister, Lollipop, No Trigger]**

"Now my Avatar on the rearguard deals the final blow. And remember, he's also powered up because your rearguards were retired! Go Blazing Flare Dragon! Roast him alive and feast on his remains! Immortal Flame!"

 **[10000 + 9000 = 19000] vs [18000]**

"That's brutal," Akio commented in a whisper.

"That's her play style," his fellow observer replied with a grin. "All out offense so her opponent can't even try to go for a counterattack. She's awesome!"

"I suppose that's one way to describe her…" Akio said hesitantly.

Susumu looked down at the one remaining card in his hand. "I... don't guard," he said. "Probability-wise I still stand a chance of victory if I just get one of my four remaining heal triggers..."

 **[Damage Check - Silent Tom, No Trigger]**

"And that's game!" Rachel said decisively.

"I lost," mumbled Susumu as he sank to the floor. "How could lose when I spent all this time honing my skills? I made sure to analyze everything about the game…"

Rachel sighed as she collected her cards. "First off, being a nerd doesn't automatically make you good at using the Oracle Think Tank clan," she said. "This clan is horrible for you. Your play style relies heavily on playing whatever rearguards and you obviously like having cards in your hands for defense, so you should use the Royal Paladins or something. You didn't even get to take a third turn and that much was already clear."

"B-But I was certain-"

"Well, I _am_ certain that I destroyed you," Rachel interrupted. She gathered the last of her cards and turned her back on her defeated opponent. "This was a waste of my time. If you want to challenge me again, you'll have to become a lot stronger. And get a new deck. Seriously."

Trembling, Susumu didn't say a word as he hurriedly swept up his cards and ran out of the shop. Akio watched him go and, and then turned back to the person who would now haunt his cardfighting nightmares.

"That's another new customer gone!" The pink haired kid called out to Rachel. "At this rate we'll be the only two left in here!"

Rachel didn't flinch or turn around. "Put a sock in it, Haruki."

Akio raised an eyebrow. "Won't the shop owner be mad if you chased away all of his customers?" he asked.

Rachel's eyes flashed open as she turned to Akio. "Well, well," she said with a menacing grin. "What do we have here? A new customer?"

Akio shivered as Rachel leaned forward and sized him up and down with predatory eyes. "Hm, how much experience do you have with cardfighting?" she asked.

"I-I've b-been playing on and off for the past couple of weeks," Akio replied shakily. "I don't think I'm up to your level."

She paused, and leaned back. "Would you look at that, someone who knows his own limitations." The pleased look on her face did not comfort Akio in the slightest. "Take out your deck and lets cardfight!"

"Uh... I really don't think I'm the opponent you're looking for," Akio said sheepishly. "Besides, I don't have my deck on me."

Rachel crossed arms as her faced downed with a pout. "Oh well," she said with a sigh. "In that case I'd better get back to work." She slipped her deck into her pocket. Then she walked up to the register and grabbed the apron that was lying on the chair behind it.

"Wait, you're the manager of the store?" Akio asked in surprise.

Rachel snorted. "Yeah, right. She put a hand on her hip and gaze Akio a deadpan look. "Do I look old enough to run this place?"

Akio blinked very slowly as he looked up and down. A tall, blue eyed, blond haired image of the american beauty stereotype, posed like model from a magazine, was standing in front of him, asking if she looked like an adult. "Well..." he eloquently replied.

"Good answer." Rachel ducked below the counter. "So, what clan do you usually use anyway?"

"Uh, Nova Grappler," Akio replied.

"Hm, interesting. Heads up!"

Akio winced and extended his hands. The object that was thrown bounced off his outstretched hands and fell to the ground. Cards spilled out over the floor. "What's this?" Akio asked as he started sweeping them together.

"A Nova Grappler trial deck. We keep these around for people who want to test the waters, so to speak," Rachel replied as she stood up. "Now, you can face me."

"But I don't know the cards..."

"He's got a point, Rachel," said Haruki. "There's no way he could beat you with an unfamiliar deck unless you had a severe handicap. Like... an unbalanced deck with a clan you've never used before and you have to start the game with only three cards in your hand!"

"I'm not that bad," Akio deadpanned. "And that was an oddly specific choice of handicap for someone who has never seen me play."

"Trust me, you'll need it," Haruki insisted.

"I don't hold back when I'm fighting," said Rachel. "But consider this a learning experience. Even if it's not your deck, it couldn't hurt to get some practice in, am I right?"

"I guess," Akio said hesitantly. "But I'm pretty sure you could easily find someone stronger to fight. Why do you want to fight me?"

Rachel flipped her long hair over shoulder and gave Akio a small smile. "'Cause I like you, duh."

Akio face flushed furiously. "Well, I uh, I guess one match wouldn't hurt."

Haruki shook his head and put a hand over his mouth to smother his laughter.

Rachel immediately ditched her apron and vaulted over the counter before Akio could get second thoughts. "Let's do this!" She cheered as she sent a fist into the air.

* * *

"You ready?" Rachel asked.

Akio nodded.

"Good, now let's imagine." Rachel closed her eyes. "Our spirits on the surface of the planet Cray. We have no power there, but to call on the inhabitants of the world to aid us in combat."

"Yeah..." Akio replied non-committally as raised an eyebrow. It was only now that he realized that he was up against a fighter who took the game _very_ seriously.

"And now it is time for us to fight. Picture it, as we ready our starting vanguards." Rachel's eyes flashed open. "Now!"

"Stand up, Vanguard!"

"Stand up, my Vanguard!"

"Battleraizer!"

 **[Battleraizer - 3000]**

"Dragon Knight, Sadegh!"

 **[Dragon Knight, Sadegh - 5000]**

 _On the surface of the planet Cray, two beings sprung into existence. The first was red humanoid robot. It raised his fists in preparation for a fight. The second was a young human boy. He stood with nothing but determination in his eyes and flaming spear in hand as he faced the towering battleroid._

"I'll take the first turn," Akio said, not wanting to get trapped in the position of Rachel's previous opponent. "I draw, and I ride Tough Boy!"

 **[Tough Boy - 8000]**

"Moving Battleraizer to rearguard, and I end my turn."

 _ **Akio's Turn End**_

 _ **Hand: 5**_

 _ **FR: empty/Tough Boy/empty**_

 _ **BR: empty/Battleraizer/empty**_

 _ **Damage: none**_

"Hm, you're looking good so far," said Rachel thoughtfully as she examined the formation of the battleroids. "I ride, Iron Tail Dragon! Using his skill, I move Sadegh to the rearguard."

 **[Iron Tail Dragon - 7000]**

"Now I call a second Iron Tail Dragon, and a Gattling Claw Dragon!"

 **[Iron Tail Dragon - 7000]**

 **[Gattling Claw Dragon - 4000]**

"Now with a boost from Gattling Claw Dragon, my rearguard Iron Tail will attack your vanguard!"

 _Gattling Claw Dragon fell to the ground, exhausted from transferred its power to Iron Tail Dragon. With a grateful nod, the small armored dragon flew towards the much larger battleroid._

 **[7000 + 4000 = 11000]**

"No guard."

 _The silver armored robot stood calmly as its opponent approached. Iron Tail Dragon let out a screech as it whipped its signature tail across the giant's front plating. With a screech and a shower of sparks, the tail cut through Tough Boy's armor, leaving a angled gash across his front. The Battleroid did not flinch, but merely stared back at the dragon as it returned to the opposite side of the battlefield._

 **[Damage Check - King of Sword, No Trigger]**

Rachel examined Akio's face carefully. Seeing that taking the damage hadn't caused him to react, she continued. "Now with a boost from Sadegh, my vanguard attacks!"

 _Sadegh tossed his spear to Iron Tail Dragon, who caught the weapon in it's mouth. Sadegh gave a nod, and after nodding back, the dragon took off._

 **[7000 + 5000 = 12000]**

"No guard."

 **[Drive Check - Blue Ray Dracokid, Critical Trigger]**

"Perfect!" Rachel cheered. "That's all going to go to my vanguard as I take the lead by a long shot!"

 _Iron Tail Dragon whipped its tail across the battleroid's front armor, leaving a diagonal cut that helped form an X on Tough Boy's armor. The battleroid tried to stand its ground, but when Iron Tail Dragon followed up quickly by stabbing its inner workings with Sadegh's spear, it was forced stumble back as it's rarely used pain receptors kicked in._

Akio clenched my teeth together. "Alright, I just have to be careful from now on," he said to himself as he moved his hand to the deck. "Three damage on the first turn is bad, but I still can win this. Double damage check."

 **[Cannon Ball - Stand Trigger]**

 **[Mr. Invincible - No Trigger]**

Akio groaned as he placed Mr. Invincible in the damage zone.

Rachel raised an eyebrow, and then announced, "That's the end of my turn."

 _ **Rachel's Turn End**_

 _ **Hand: 4**_

 _ **FR: empty/Iron Tail Dragon/Iron Tail Dragon**_

 _ **BR: empty/Dragon Knight, Sadegh/Gattling Claw Dragon**_

 _ **Damage: none**_

"I draw," said Akio. "Hm… I ride, King of Sword! And I call NGM Prototype, and a pair of Shouts!"

 **[King of Sword - 10000]**

 **[NGM Protoype - 8000]**

 **[Screamin' and Dancin' Announcer, Shout - 7000]**

 **[Screamin' and Dancin' Announcer, Shout - 7000]**

"Now I rest Shout, discard Battering Minotaur, and draw a card." Akio gritted my teeth as he looked at the card he drew. "Now I do the same thing with my other Shout, discarding Queen of Hearts!" Akio's lips formed a taut line as he drew another card, and then sighed in defeat. "I call Storm to rearguard."

 **[Super Electromagnetic Lifeform, Storm - 9000]**

"You're trying to get a grade three unit," Rachel deduced. "Tough luck."

"I've still got a chance," Akio stated. "Now, Storm attacks your vanguard!"

 **[9000] vs [7000]**

"No guard."

 _Iron Tail Dragon braced itself as the female alien unleashed a powerful wave of electricity. The dragon screeched in pain, but the fire in its eyes refused to die._

 **[Damage Check - Flame Seed Salamander, Stand Trigger]**

"Hm," said Rachel thoughtfully as she moved the card to the damage zone. "A draw trigger would've been better, but oh well. Power to my Vanguard!"

"King of Sword attacks next with a boost from Battleraizer! Using Battleraizer's skill to give an extra boost!"

 **[10000 + 3000 + 3000 = 16000]**

Rachel glanced at the cards at her hands, and sighed. "No guard."

 **[Drive Check - Queen of Heart, No Trigger]**

 _Iron Tail Dragon flew into the air bravely as the King of Sword marched forward. The mighty battleroid swung its sword at the dragon, who tried match the blow, tail for blade. However, the battleroid's blade proved to be the stronger of two, and the the dragon was sent crumbling into the ground._

Rachel winced as she flipped over the top card of her deck.

 **[Damage Check - Blazing Core Dragon, No Trigger]**

Akio looked at his last remaining rearguard. Thanks to him using Shout's ability in vain, he lacked the power to even try to attack Rachel's vanguard. "Now NGM prototype attacks your rearguard Iron Tail Dragon!"

 **[8000] vs [7000]**

 _Iron Tail Dragon watched the incoming battleroid approach with narrowed eyes. It knew it wouldn't survive the assault, but it refused to back down in the face of its own demise._

"Dracokid guards!" Rachel countered.

 **[Blue Ray Dracokid - 10000]**

 **[8000] vs [10000 + 7000 = 17000]**

 _Just as the battleroid's arm was about to crush Iron Tail Dragon, a smaller dragon pushed it aside. The rescued dragon could only watch helplessly as its comrade was destroyed in a single blow. Iron Tail Dragon roared and flared its wings in a show of aggression, but NGM Prototype merely returned to its position on the opposite side of the field._

"I put Battleraizer back into my deck, and I end my turn."

 _ **Akio's Turn End**_

 _ **Hand: 2**_

 _ **FR: NGM Prototype/King of Sword/Super Electromagnetic Lifeform, Storm**_

 _ **BR: Screamin' and Dancin' Announcer, Shout/empty/Screamin' and Dancin' Announcer, Shout**_

 _ **Damage: King of Sword; Cannon Ball; Mr. Invincible**_

Akio face grew a concerned frown. "Wait, why did you waste a guard for your grade one rearguard? It's nothing special."

"Dude, you should have seen what she did last game-"

"Haruki!" Rachel interrupted. "Don't give him hints!"

"Just leveling the playing field," Haruki said with a grin. "Besides, it's not like he can stop you now."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Fine." She looked Akio in the eye. "Prepare to see the forbearer of destruction, I ride Blazing Core Dragon!"

 **[Blazing Core Dragon - 9000]**

"And using his skill, I counterblast and put Iron Tail Dragon and Gattling Claw Dragon into the soul, to superior ride from my deck!"

Akio's eyes widened. "No way, a superior ride!" he exclaimed.

"I already told you Rachel does them a lot," Haruki pointed out. "Why are you so surprised?"

"Well," Akio replied. "I've never actually seen someone-"

"Hey!" Rachel interrupted as she glared at the two. "We're in the middle of a fight here!"

"Sorry, Rachel," said Haruki as he slumped forward against the chair.

"I'm paying attention," said Akio. "You were superior riding?"

Rachel nodded, as she pulled a card from her deck, and shuffled it. "From the depths of the earth, arise my Avatar to feast on the charred flesh of my enemies!" She recited as she held the card in front of her face. "I superior ride, Blazing Flare Dragon!"

 **[Blazing Flare Dragon - 10000]**

 _The body of Blazing Core Dragon became swallowed in a vat of flames so intense that they gave off pure white light. Gattling Claw Dragon and Iron Tail Dragon willing allowed themselves to be pulled into the unrelenting heat. Then, the flames began to fade, revealing the body of a flaming, bipedal dragon. Gattling guns lay mounted to his right shoulder, and in his right hand he carried a sword whose blade was made entirely of searing flame. The creature let out a mighty roar. A roar in honor of the sacrifice of his comrades, and a roar in celebration of a victory to come._

"And now I call Bellicosity Dragon to rearguard!"

 **[Bellicosity Dragon - 9000]**

"Now, he attacks your NGM Prototype."

 **[9000] vs [8000]**

"I intercept with Storm!"

 **[9000] vs [8000 + 5000 = 13000]**

"Now my Vanguard attacks with a boost from Sadegh!"

 _Sadegh knelt and offered his flaming spear to the great flame dragon in front of him. Despite the weapon being of clearly inferior design, Blazing Flare Dragon placed his flaming sword on the ground, and took up the spear. With a roar, he rushed forward, ready to destroy anything that dared to stand in his path._

 **[5000 + 10000 = 15000] vs [10000]**

"I intercept with NGM Prototype, and I guard with Queen of Hearts! It'll take two triggers for that to pass!"

 _The impassive battleroid moved to stand in front of the taller, new model robot. A smaller battleroid, one designed to be a companion King of Sword, also moved into front. The king expressionlessly watched the two offered themselves up as living shields._

 **[5000 + 10000 = 15000] vs [10000 + 10000 + 5000 = 25000]**

"You're guarding that much?" Rachel asked as she raised an eyebrow.

Akio nodded. "You may have taken the lead, but I'm not planning to let you make it any bigger until I get a few more attacks in."

Rachel shrugged. "If you say so. Now, Twin Drive!"

 **[Drive Check - Dual Axe Archdragon, No Trigger]**

 **[Drive Check - Demonic Dragon Mage, Mahoraga, No Trigger]**

 _With a snarl, Blazing Flare Dragon fired it's at NGM Prototype, shattering the outdated battleroid's armor and igniting its inner workings. The flame dragon didn't waste any more time or ammo on it, knowing that NGM was finished. Blazing Flare Dragon focused its attention on the Queen of Hearts. With a feral roar, he stabbed the small battleroid with Sadegh's flaming spear. The spear ripped the heart of the Queen of Hearts, and the robot exploded immediately._

 _Knowing that his power was spent, Blazing Flare Dragon looked up at King of Sword. The towering battleroid's face was still as devoid of emotion as it had been since the battle began. With a hiss of disgust, Blazing Flare Dragon returned to his side of the field and return the spear to its owner, who took it back graciously._

 _ **Rachel's Turn End**_

 _ **Hand: 4**_

 _ **FR: empty/Blazing Flare Dragon/Bellocity Dragon**_

 _ **BR: empty/Dragon Knight, Sadegh/empty**_

 _ **Damage: Flame Seed Salamander (D); Blazing Core Dragon**_

"No damage on me this turn," Akio said triumphantly.

Rachel gave him a deadpan look. "Looks like I was expecting too much from you," she said as she shook her head.

"What does that mean?" Akio asked. He gestured to his damage zone. "I stopped your attacks cold."

"Yeah, but now you have no front row rearguards and your hand is awfully small." She shook her head again. "And last time I checked, you were short on a grade three, which means your hand won't be recovering anytime soon."

"Well, sometimes you got to take a chance and hope for the best," Akio said with an uneasy smile. "I stand, and I draw!" He drew the card slowly, knowing that his tiny chance of victory rested on the card he drew this turn. "Perfect! I ride, Gold Rutile!"

 _The body of the King of Sword was absorbed with light as Akio's spirit moved to a different vessel. From the blinding brilliance rose a battleroid of gleaming grey. In one of his hands was a golden blade that banished even the shadows from its presence._

"Now I, uh..." Akio's face knotted with worry as he looked at the remaining card in his hand. A Shining Lady. A grade zero. With a mere five thousand power.

"What's wrong? Don't have a good offensive formation?" Rachel asked smugly.

"It's fine," Akio replied. He looked at the Shining Lady in his hand again, and then at the pair of Shouts on the field. "I move one of my Shouts forward, and then I attack with my Vanguard!"

 _Swift as lightning, the battleroid raised its sword and charged for Blazing Flare Dragon._

 **[10000] vs [10000]**

"Blue Ray Dracokid will be stopping that one!" Rachel countered.

 **[Blue Ray Dracokid - 10000]**

 _The small gunning dragon threw itself on its opponent's blade in an attempt to shield Blazing Flare Dragon from the blow._

 **[10000] vs [10000 + 10000 = 20000]**

"Checking for a drive trigger…"

 **[Drive Check - Shining Lady, Critical Trigger]**

"I'm giving all of the effects to Screamin' and Dancin' Announcer, Shout," Akio announced. "Now for the second check."

 **[Drive Check - Grapple Mania, Stand Trigger]**

"Perfect, another trigger! I add the power to Shout! Oh…" The realization kicked in. "If I had put all of the effects to my vanguard I would have gotten the lead already."

"And if you had moved both of your Shouts forward you would have gotten two opportunities to attack instead of one," Rachel added.

"Yeah, but I getting a double trigger is only luck," said Akio. "My gut tells me to never rely on luck to win my fights, so I made the safer choice. Now, Shout attacks your vanguard!"

 **[7000 + 5000 + 5000 = 17000] critical +1 vs [10000]**

Rachel shrugged. "No point in guarding. Stopping your vanguard's attack was wasted too much of my shield anyway."

 _Blazing Flare Dragon roared with anguish as the alien octopus rattled in a loud, endless string of random words and phrases._

 **[Damage Check - Berserk Dragon, No Trigger]**

 **[Damage Check - Gattling Claw Dragon, Draw Trigger]**

"Well done my dragons," said Rachel as she placed Gattling Claw Dragon in the damage zone. "I get to draw."

"I end my turn with the lead I wanted," said Akio with a satisfied smile.

 _ **Akio's Turn End**_

 _ **Hand: 3**_

 _ **FR: Screamin' and Dancin' Announcer, Shout/Gold Rutile/empty**_

 _ **BR: empty/empty/Screamin' and Dancin' Announcer, Shout**_

 _ **Damage: King of Sword; Cannon Ball; Mr. Invincible**_

Rachel rolled her eyes. "I expected to see the relentless attacks of Nova Grappler, but instead I got a half-baked assault," she said with a sigh.

"I'm not using my normal deck-" Akio began.

"That's no excuse for this pathetic excuse for a fight!" Rachel retorted. "You still have a lot to learn about basic attack and defense strategies."

"I told you I'm not up to your level," Akio reminded her. "I get it, I'm weaker than you. Happy?"

"No, I'm not happy!" Rachel replied as she slammed a hand on the table. "I thought you were someone who knew his own limitations and kept going despite his disadvantage. In turns out you're only a weakling that uses weak excuses to excuse his weakness!"

"That's a little harsh," Haruki commented.

"It's the truth," Rachel declared.

"I don't make excuses for my weakness!" Akio protested. "I just… I'm just not very strong. It's a fact, not an excuse."

Rachel narrowed her eyes. "With that mentality, the match was mine the second our spirits arrived on the surface of Cray," she said coolly. "You think your weakness is just an acceptable fact of life? Well, prepare to pay the cost for your weakness! This is the Final Turn!"

"What's up with you and that catchphrase?" Akio asked. "It's really arrogant."

Rachel shrugged. "I saw it on TV once," she replied. "A lot of what I use when I play the game I learned from watching others on television." Her eyes narrowed. "Now, prepare to face your demise! I ride Blazing Flare Dragon on top of Blazing Flare Dragon!"

 _Blazing Flare Dragon became surrounded in searing flames. When the flames had died down, he was still standing there unchanged._

 _Sadegh tilted his head curiously, but declined to comment._

 **[Blazing Flare Dragon - 10000]**

And I call two Mahoraga and a Kimnara!"

 **[Demonic Dragon Mage, Mahoraga - 5000]**

 **[Demonic Dragon Mage, Mahoraga - 5000]**

 **[Demonic Dragon Mage, Kimnara - 6000]**

"Now to pull out my signature technique!" Rachel leaned over the table and gave Akio a wide-but far from reassuring-smile. "Retire! Retire! Retire!"

"That's an… interesting name…" Akio commented.

Haruki facepalmed.

"Laugh now," said Rachel as she pointed an accusatory finger. "But it will be your undoing!"

"I wasn't-"

Rachel didn't give him time to finish. "I counterblast and move Kimnara to the soul! Now I retire the octopus in the front row!"

"You're on a roll, Rachel!" Haruki cheered. "Take him out!"

"Now I use my Avatar's soulblast to retire your other octopus!"

"It's Screamin' and Dancin' Announcer, Shout," I replied irritably as I put the card in the damage zone. "You could at least call it by name."

"Whatever," Rachel said offhandedly. "Now if you had another rearguard I would have Sadegh take it out, but it looks like I'll just have to finish you with what I have."

Akio glanced at Rachel's side of the field. There was a Blazing Flare Dragon in the front row, a Mahoraga in the back and another in the front, and Sadegh behind the vanguard. In his hand he had three trigger units. He let a smile creep up to his face, confident that Rachel wouldn't be able to land three damage on me this turn.

"Oh, and I almost forgot." Rachel smirked as she pulled out the last card from her hand. "I call Dual Axe Archdragon!"

 **[Dual Axe Archdragon - 10000]**

Akio gritted his teeth as his confidence plummeted. "Do your best, it won't get past me," he declared.

"Oh, don't worry," said Rachel. "I will. First, Mahoraga attacks! With his skill, since I retired two of your rearguards during my main phase, he gets an extra ten thousand power!"

 _With an evil chuckle, the half dragon, half human mage summoned a spiral of flame from his staff. Heaving his staff up a high, he unleashed the fiery blast at the battleroids' proud leader._

 **[5000 + 10000 = 15000] vs [10000]**

"I guard with Cannon Ball!"

 **[5000 + 10000 = 15000] vs [10000 + 10000 = 20000]**

"Now, my Avatar attacks with the support of Sadegh! With his skill he gets an extra six thousand power!"

 _Blazing Flare Dragon turned and gave Dragon Knight, Sadegh a nod. The young dragon knight nodded in return, and bowed low as he handed his spear to the mighty flame dragon. Blazing Flare Dragon picked up the gift in his claws, grabbed Sadegh by the shoulder, and pulled him to his feet._

 _Sadegh stumbled in surprise. He looked up, and saw the dragon offer him the hilt of his signature flaming sword. Sadegh reached out tentatively to the fearsome weapon, as though he was afraid to break it. With a hearty laugh, Blazing Flare Dragon rose to the skies. He spied the champion of the battleroids, and charged forward, with Sadegh's spear in tow, for his rematch._

 **[5000 + 10000 + 6000 = 21000] vs [10000]**

"No need for me to guard," said Akio. "You called 'Final Turn' for nothing. I know I'm not the best player around. In fact, half of these kids here probably have enough experience to beat me. But at least I'm not arrogant like you. You need to pull a critical trigger to win the game this turn, but you've already used up two out of what I'm guessing is your four. It's not happening."

Haruki gaped. "Wow, that was the longest string of sentences I've ever heard you put together!" he exclaimed.

"Thanks…?"

Rachel snorted. "Just because you can give a fancy speech doesn't mean you know what you're talking about," she said. "I called final turn because I wanted to end the game on this turn. Do I know for sure that I'm going to win? Nope. That's impossible. However…" her words trailed off as she looked deep into Akio's eyes. "That's not going to stop me from trying. Twin Drive!"

 **[Drive Check - Wyvern Guard, Barri, No Trigger]**

"Dracokid, come to me!"

 **[Drive Check - Blue Ray Dracokid, Critical Trigger]**

"No way!" Akio exclaimed as he took a step back. "You just… called the card?"

Rachel smirked. "I like to think of it that way," she replied.

Haruki shook his head and resisted the urge to bang his head on the nearest wall as Akio opened and closed his mouth like a fish attempting to breathe on a sidewalk.

"Critical is obviously going to my vanguard, and Dual Axe Dragon will be taking the power."

 _Gold Rutile stood ready as Blazing Flare Dragon. Reading his blade, he prepared to parry the first blow. However, Blazing Flare Dragon began the fight by throwing Sadegh's spear into the battleroid's left arm. Gold Rutile's feared Garuda Blade fell from his limp hand._

 _But Blazing Flare Dragon wasn't finished there. Using his mounted gatling gun, he fired off a series of rounds that severed Rutile's other arm at the shoulder. The battleroid was now facing the dragon unarmed, in all senses of the phrase. Blazing Flare Dragon wrenched the spear from Rutile's limp arm, and summoned an inferno from his core. All of the power, all of the hope, all of the life given to him by his supporters came out in a fiery blaze which left his opponent in little more than a charged wreckage._

 **[Damage Check - Death Metal Droid, No Trigger]**

 **[Damage Check - Oasis Girl, No Trigger]**

"Now for the final blow!" Rachel declared. "Archdragon, with the support of Mahogara, finish off what my avatar started. Destroy that pile of junk!"

 _Cackling evilly, Mahoraga summoned a spiral of flames. The flames flew through the air and circled around Dual Axe Archdragon. The flame dragon bellowed as he rubbed his axes together._

 **[5000 + 10000 + 10000 + 3000 + 5000 = 33000] vs [10000]**

"I…" It was then Akio realized that the two grade zeroes in his hand weren't enough. "I don't guard…" he said in defeat.

 _Archdragon charged forward with an ax in each hand and a spiral of fire circling him as if it had a mind of its own. He fell upon the helpless Rutile, and threw one of his axes into the chest of the battleroid. Then he circled around, and grabbed his remaining axe with his both hands. With a mighty roar, he brought the axe down with the flame that encircled him._

 **[Damage Check - Battleraizer, Stand Trigger]**

 _Gold Rutile exploded into tiny metal fragments. Akio's spirit, having lost its vessel, was once again returned to its powerless state. It faded away, leaving Rachel's forces alone on the surface of Cray._

 **Fight End**

 **Akio:**

 ** _Hand: 2_**

 ** _FR: empty/Gold Rutile/empty_**

 ** _BR: empty/empty/empty_**

 ** _Damage: King of Sword; Cannon Ball; Mr. Invincible; Death Metal Droid; Oasis Girl; Battleraizer_**

 **Rachel:**

 _ **Hand: 2**_

 _ **FR: Demonic Dragon Mage, Mahoraga/Blazing Flare Dragon/Dual Axe Archdragon**_

 _ **BR: empty/Dragon Knight, Sadegh/Demonic Dragon Mage, Mahoraga**_

 _ **Damage: Flame Seed Salamander (D); Blazing Core Dragon (D); Berserk Dragon; Gattling Claw Dragon**_

"What a waste," said Rachel as she packed up her cards.

"You're the one who challenged me," Akio reminded her as he did the same.

"And you're the one who doesn't deserve to use the Nova Grapplers," Rachel retorted. "By what you showed me today, I don't even think you could beat _anyone_ in this shop even with your normal deck."

"Hey," Akio said sharply. "Don't forget it was a close match! I pushed you to four damage!"

Rachel laughed. "You _pushed_ me to four damage? That's a rather selective bit of memory." She walked to the counter and put on her apron. "I only guarded how many attacks in our battle? Oh yeah, _two_ ; one for my rear-guard, and one for my vanguard. Frankly, I only guarded against your vanguard to see how lucky you could get with the triggers. The only attack that actually came close to threatening me was the one on my rearguard Iron Tail Dragon.

"Now during our fight you called me arrogant. Maybe you believe that, but that's because you don't understand how strong I am and how weak you are. That other guy I was playing, Susumu? He at least put an effort into his fights. His imagination was passable, and his passion was evident, just slightly misguided. I came at him full force and only some lucky triggers allowed me to beat him with only two damage. You, on the other hand, only managed to put me at four damage when I barely even tried to fight back. In fact, I could have let all of your attacks on my vanguard through and I still would have won."

"So?"

"So, you're not good enough to be considered a real cardfighter," said Rachel. "You lack skills, drive, and most of all, spirit. You're just a weak, pathetic, loser."

Akio froze, unresponsive. Then he clenched his jaw, walked up the counter, and set the trial pack down without making eye contact with Rachel. "Thanks for the cardfight," he said stiffly as he turned to the door.

"Nice meeting you!" Haruki called cheerfully as Akio walked out.

Akio responded by slamming the door shut behind him.

Haruki turned to Rachel. "Amachi's going to kill you for scaring away two more customers," he said.

Rachel shrugged. "Probably."

* * *

 **Well, that certainly was a wild ride.**

 **Originally I had planned to save this chapter for a few weeks to do some fine tuning and stuff... but that's what this site is for! Broadcasting my work and learning how to improve!**

 **Now, there's a lot I can say about this story, but for fear of info dumping the first chapter, I'll just say what's essential.**

 **This is not planned to be a stand alone story. Rather, this only the beginning of a very long story with multiple arcs. Originally I had planned this to be a crossover (with something that doesn't matter right now)... but since 1. It didn't work out even in the rough drafts and 2. No one looks at crossovers anyway, I decided to save the crossover elements for the second major arc/story. If you can see the thinly-veiled leftover crossover stuff, congrats, but don't spoil it for the others ;).**

 **Yeah, so every character who's gotten a mention in this chapter is important in some way or another. For the sake of provoking reviews, I'll be asking some questions. (Feel free to send a normal review though!)**

 **1\. Who do you think this story will revolve around? (Try to guess who in the chapter are main characters, secondary characters, and reoccurring characters)**

 **2\. What do you think of the characters you've seen so far? (Feel free to dislike all of them. I see that as a believable possibility)**

 **3\. What about the chapter itself needs improvement? And what elements did you like/want to see more of? (Be as brutal as possible. I need to improve... badly.)**

 **I said I wasn't going to info dump, so that's the end of this A/N. Just remember, reviews are food for a writer's soul! Namely, mine! RainEStar, out!**


	2. Stand 2: Keep Trying

**You're still here?**

 **I must admire your determination.**

 **I thought the massive chapter length would scare you off.**

 **Well, it's about time we resumed the story.**

 **Stand 2! Keep Trying!**

* * *

Akio's face was twisted into a scowl as he unlocked the door to his home and stormed inside. He carelessly kicked the door with the back of his heel, letting it shut with a bang.

"Is everything alright?" his dad called from the living room. "I didn't expect you back until later."

"Everything's fine!" Akio called back as he climbed began his lumbering ascent up the stairs.

"Akio." Even though his father's voice didn't rise in volume or express any anger, but Akio knew that his father was actually saying, _"You're not fooling me, Akio. Come back down here and talk."_

With a sigh, Akio tromped back down the stairs. He crossed the living room and stepped into the expansive kitchen. He found his father seated at the kitchen's small table. A copy of _War and Peace_ lay on the table next to his father's elbow. "Hey, dad."

His father nodded, and gestured to one of the other chairs around the table. After Akio sat down, his father asked him, "How much of the town did you get to see?"

Akio shrugged. "A lot of it, I guess," he replied. "Enough to know that this place is crazy."

His father's eyebrow raised. "How so?"

"The people here have the weirdest ideas about color. The town's half bright and half dull, and every person I've met is a weirdo. I decided to stop by three card shops-three!-and I couldn't find one of them that didn't have a psycho-girl behind the counter."

Akio's father nodded. "Let me take a guess, and you can tell me if I'm wrong," he said. "You had some girl trouble."

"Not like that…" Akio said as his face flushed. His father chuckled as Akio stammered out an explanation. "She wasn't… like that, exactly. She was just so… frustrating."

"So this girl who worked behind the counter managed to get you tangled up in an argument you couldn't win?"

"It was more than an argument."

"Hm…" Akio's father leaned back as he contemplated this. "So if I got this all right, this girl got you wrapped up in a cardfight-which you lost-and she managed to get you riled up in an argument in the process? "

"Well, yeah. Wait." Akio paused. "How did you know? You weren't there."

"You're very easy to read," his father replied. "Plus, you didn't even realize that you told me most of the story already. You went to three card shops, and at the third one you got into something that was a more than argument with a girl behind the counter of the store, and then you came back here angry."

Akio shook his head. "I still don't get how you do that," he said. "No matter how many times you do it I will never understand how you can figure out so much from such a short conversation."

"It's simple deduction," was the reply. "Apply it some time, and it'll allow you to get into the heads of others. In cardfighting, it can be essential for defeating your opponents. Figure out what makes them tick. Manipulate them through their subconscious."

"No, thanks," Akio replied. "I'd rather not get involved in serious stuff."

"Suit yourself," his father replied with a shrug. "Now, what exactly did this girl do to get you so wound up?"

"Nothing."

His father raised an eyebrow and leaned forward resting an elbow on the table. "Nothing?" he echoed.

"Nothing," Akio confirmed.

"Is there some reason I don't believe you?" Akio shrugged. "You aren't upset that you lost a girl your age, are you?"

"Of course it's not because she was a girl," Akio scoffed. "I just couldn't syand how arrogant she was. I wasn't even using my normal deck, just a trial deck, and she had to keep going on and on about how weak I was and how I was a disappointment."

"So why does that affect you?" his father asked gently.

"Just because I'm not as good as her doesn't me she has the right to treat me like dirt!"

"So what are you going to do?"

Akio snorted. "I'm obviously not going back to that shop again," he said. "Whoever owns that places needs to hire someone with better customer service."

"And is that really the best solution?"

"I'm not going back to be treated like a little kid."

Akio's father sighed and massaged his temples. "Tell me, why were you at the shop to begin with?"

"Why was I-Well, to get some japanese-print cards," Akio replied. "Isn't it obvious? We had planned to do it… a while ago."

"Yes," his father agreed with a small nod. "But if you don't go there, how will you be able to buy the cards? Are you going to wait until the girl is fired before you step foot in the shop again?"

"No… I'll try the other card shops…"

"What stopped you from buying at the first two shops you visited then? You did say you visited three, and last time I checked, there were only three card shops in the entire town."

"Only three?" Akio exclaimed.

"It's a small town, Akio," his father reminded him. "If it wasn't for the town-wide vanguard obsession there would only be one, maybe two shops here, tops. Now, why didn't you buy anything from the first two shops you visited?"

"Well…" Akio rapped his fingers on the table. "The store owners were kind of creepy."

His father nodded slowly. There was a small amount of confusion in his eyes, but he didn't press the issue. "Well, it seems you have a dilemna. You can rather face the person who treats you like pond scum, or face your fears of creepy shop owners." He shrugged. "It's your choice, but know this. Do you remember why I gave you the Nova Grapplers?"

"Yeah, you wanted me to learn from their fighting style, and constantly rise to the occasion and never back down," Akio replied as rolled his eyes. "But dad, they're just cards. All that clan lore is just some made up stories that sound cool."

"That's why you need to have imagination," said his father. "Picture the cards as living beings, and only then will you be able to use their power."

"Dad, that sounds like something you would tell a kid," Akio deadpanned. "Imagination? Seriously? Imagination isn't useful for anything."

"Akio, I've been in the military," his dad replied seriously. "Trust me, in combat, you need to keep your imagination open to find all sorts of possibilities. Otherwise, you'll shut yourself away from potential opportunities. In war, that means lives being lost. In life, that means failing to grow as a person."

"But imagining something that's fake to be real isn't, well, realistic."

His father sighed, stood from his chair, and picked up his book. "Akio, you are faced with a choice. How you deal with it is up to you. Afterwards, you can tell me what you choose to do, or you can decide not to. It's your choice." With that, he stood up and left the kitchen, leaving a confused Akio alone with his thoughts.

* * *

Up in his room, Akio sat on his bed in a cross legged position. "It's my choice, huh?" he said softly to himself. "The way he says that makes me feel like whatever choice I make isn't my own to begin with."

He leaned back and rested his head on his pillow. "All I wanted to do was buy some cards. But nope, I had to get wrapped with crazy shop owners. That girl, Rachel, she thinks she's so much better than me. If I had my real deck on me I would have-"

The words died on his lips as he became acquainted with reality. "She would have beat me anyway," he admitted. "She's way out of my league. There's no point in fighting her again, I'd only lose."

He sighed as he rolled onto his side. As his eyes caught something, he squinted. He raised his head, and stretched out his hand to grab a small box sticking out of the pocket of one of his bags. "My deck…"

He slid the cards out of the deck holder and placed them on his bed. "My Nova Grapplers: giant, powerful robots that fight for sport," he said, recalling the clan's lore. "They're tough, brave, and fearless. Everything I'm not."

He riffed through his cards until he found the strongest one in his deck. "You're the ultimate destroyer, one of the strongest Nova Grapplers in existence. If you were real, you would crush that girl's Blazing Flare Dragon easily," he let the card slid from his fingers, and watched as it slowly fell onto his bed. "But you aren't real. And pretending that you are isn't going to help win any fights. I'm not a skilled or experienced player, and no amount of hoping and wishing will make me able to beat someone like here any time soon."

A sudden breeze whipped through Akio's opened window. The card Akio had dropped rose from the bed and flew to his face, but he managed to snag it from the air before it could make contact.

"Sheesh, it's like you're telling me to not give up or something," said Akio as he added the card to the rest of his deck and placed them into the deck holder. "I know you're not… that would be silly."

He facepalmed. "How to tell when a guy's lonely and has no friends: he talks to his cards," he grumbled. Still, he fingered with the cards of his deck instead of putting them back in his bag. "But it's better than nothing. It's not like I have anything better to do. I'm on the other side of the globe, and the only thing that's stayed with me are these cards."

Sighing, he dropped the deck on his bed. "Well, like dad said, I've got two options. Face one of the creepy ladies, or deal with the ego-maniac girl." He shivered. "I can't buy cards until I deal with one of them, so I need to decide."

Akio reached into one of his paggs and took out a set of multicolor pens. "Alright, purple for the gothic lady, yellow for the creepy sunshine lady, and red for the annoying girl." Akio closed his eyes, shuffled the three pens around in his hand, stopped, and drew one.

Akio's eyes widened as he looked at the pen in his hand. "Great… just my luck," he grumbled. "Well, if I'm going to do this. I might as well do it right."

* * *

The following day, Rachel looked up as the door to the shop opened. "Welcome to Card Shop Hor..." Her voice trailed off as she recognized the face of the visitor. "You came back?" she asked incredulously, despite the indisputable evidence standing in front of her.

"Yes, I did," Akio replied. He held up his deck and narrowed his eyes. "And I'm here for a rematch."

Rachel grinned. "Well, whaddya know, you do have a spine!" She stood up, took off her apron, and dumped it on the empty chair behind her. "What made you decide to come back?" she asked as she stuck her hand into slipped her deck out of the pocket of her .

"Nothing important," Akio replied quickly. Rachel looked at him suspiciously, so he quickly smirked while adding, "Beat me, and I might tell you."

Rachel's grin grew even wider. "It looks like you've even gained some spirit!" she exclaimed. "Maybe this time I'll have a real fight on my hands!"

Akio kept his lips in a thin line as he placed a card face down in the vanguard circle. "No matter what happens, she won't beat me," he said to himself in a low whisper. "I can't afford to lose this time."

"Are you talking to yourself?"

Akio jumped, and whirled around to see Haruki sitting in a chair behind him. "I was just... getting ready," Akio explained as he settled his racing heart. He turned to Rachel and narrowed his eyes again. "This time, I'm going to win."

Haruki grinned and took a seat. "I'm glad you came back!" he exclaimed. "Most fighters that Rachel crush never show their faces here again! Good luck! You'll need it!"

"Thanks?"

"Haruki, stop distracting him," ordered Rachel. "I want to destroy him while he's at his best."

"Would you stop acting like you already won?" Akio asked irritably.

Rachel put a finger to her lips and strained her facial expression into one of deep thought. "Maybe... if you actually prove that you're an actual opponent," she teased.

"Let's just get this over with."

"Fine by me," said Rachel with a shrug. She leaned over and placed her hand on her face down starting vanguard. "Picture it, we're on the surface of Cray. We're getting ready to summon the creatures of that world to fight on our behalf. Now, we will ready the units who will be the first hosts to our spirits." She closed her eyes. "Can you... picture it?"

Akio rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. I got the picture. Can we get started now?"

Rachel slowly opened her eyes to give him a deadpan stare. "Well, it makes sense that you wouldn't miraculously change overnight," she said. "Still, some improvement is better than nothing. Now, Stand up-"

"Vanguard!"

"My Vanguard!"

 **[Battleraizer - 3000]**

 **[Dragon Knight, Sadegh - 5000]**

 _In a valley on the surface of the planet Cray, two being sprung into existence. A young spear-wielding Dragon stood on the side of one of the valley's hills. His eyes narrowed as he looked across the expansive gap, where a Battleroid stood, awaiting combat._

"I draw," said Rachel, taking the first turn before Akio could attempt to do the same. "I ride, Mahogara! And with his skill, I move Sadegh to rearguard."

 **[Demonic Dragon Mage, Mahoraga - 5000]**

 _The dragonman cackled evilly as he replaced Sadegh as the new Vanguard. The young Knight could only sigh as he reappeared behind the mage._

"That's the end of my turn."

 _ **Rachel's Turn End**_

 _ **Hand: 5**_

 _ **FR: empty/Demonic Dragon Mage, Mahogara/empty**_

 _ **BR: empty/Dragon Knight, Sadegh/empty**_

 _ **Damage: none**_

"I draw. I ride, Katanaraizer! I move Battleraizer back, and I also call a Jetraizer!"

 _Battleraizer jumped back as a sword-wielding battleroid appeared on the field. A blue and silver battleroid appeared to the side of the new Vanguard._

 **[Katanaraizer - 7000]**

 **[Jetraizer - 7000]**

"Now Jetraizer attacks your vanguard!"

 _The blue battleroid charged towards the dragonman. The twin jet engines that were strapped to its back spun madly as his speed increased. A vibrant green energy flowed from the battleroid's core as it pulled its fist back for the blow._

 **[7000] vs [5000]**

With a shrug, Rachel said, "No guard."

 _The reptilian mage was flung back by the force of the blow. However, he stood back up with the same sinister gleam in his eye. Jetraizer, unnerved, hurried back to its side of the valley._

 **[Damage Check - Blazing Flare Dragon, No Trigger]**

Rachel gave an almost inaudible hiss as she placed the card in the damage zone.

"Katanaraizer attacks your vanguard!"

 _Katanaraizer drew its sword as it prepared to strike._

 **[7000] vs [5000]**

"You're not using Battleraizer's boosting ability?" Rachel asked.

Akio shook his head. "The extra power wouldn't help me," he explained. "I'll save his ability for a time I can actually use it properly."

Rachel nodded slowly. "Alright then, no guard."

 _Battleraizer grabbed Katanaraizer by the arms and jumped as high as it could. Katanaraizer pushed off and failed down towards Mahogara, its unsheathed sword gleaming in the light of the sun._

 **[Drive Check - Battleraizer, Stand Trigger]**

"All effects to Jetraizer!"

 _Jetraizer almost appeared to be smirking as it rose once again, watching Mahogara struggle stand after receiving the brunt of Katanaraizer's strike._

 **[Damage Check - Iron Tail Dragon, No Trigger]**

Rachel gave a louder hiss this time.

"And now Jetraizer attacks!"

 **[7000 + 5000] vs [5000]**

Rachel gritted her teeth. "No guard," she grunted.

 _Jetraizer charged forward, its body was enveloped in emerald light as it Mahogara for the second term leaving the dragonman in a smoldering crater in the ground. Satisfied, the Battleroid paused to admire its work, but was surprised to see Mahogara immediately standing once more, with its newest injuries already closing up._

 **[Damage Check - Dragon Dancer, Barbara, Heal Trigger]**

"Alright!" Rachel cheered. "Got a heal Trigger! Perfect timing!"

"Drats," said Akio. "Well, I guess that's the end of my turn."

 _ **Akio's Turn End**_

 _ **Hand: 5**_

 _ **FR: empty/Katanaraizer/Jetraizer**_

 _ **BR: empty/Battleraizer/empty**_

 _ **Damage: none**_

"I draw, and ride Blazing Core Dragon!"

 **[Blazing Core Dragon - 9000]**

 _Mahogara was consumed in bright flames as he was replaced by bipedal dragon with a core as bright as searing lava._

"Oh, no," said Akio as a feeling of dread washed over him.

"Oh, yes," said Rachel with a malicious smile. "Now, I call Gattling Claw Dragon, and Bellicosity Dragon!"

 **[Gattling Claw Dragon - 4000]**

 **[Bellicosity Dragon - 9000]**

"With a boost from Gattling Claw Dragon, Bellicosity Dragon attacks your rearguard!"

 _Gattling Claw Dragon leapt onto the back of Bellicosity Dragon, being careful to avoid the larger dragon's long, curved spikes that coveted its body._

 **[4000 + 9000 = 13000] vs [7000]**

"No superior ride?" Akio asked in surprise.

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Duh, no. We're in battle phase now, come on. Guard or no guard?"

"I... don't guard."

 _Like a charging rhinoceros, Bellicosity Dragon charged towards Jetraizer. The battleroid's eyes widened in panic. Several rounds were fires into the battleroid's core, and intense flames caused it to explode into small fragments of metal._

"Why did you waste such a powerful attack on a rearguard?" Akio asked as he placed Jetraizer into his drop zone. "It can't even intercept."

"I know the damage the Nova Grappler can do," Rachel replied. "With key units on the field, you could waste away my shields like crazy. So, if I can't retire your units with skills, I'll find another way to wreck your formation! Now, attack his vanguard, Blazing Core Dragon!"

 _Sadegh fell to his knees as he transferred all of his power into the leading flame dragon. Blazing Core Dragon roared as it flew to Katanaraizer. The liquid flames on its chest bubbled as it came within range._

 **[9000 + 5000 = 14000] vs [7000]**

"No guard."

"Drive Check, give me the card I need to take the lead!"

 **[Drive Check - Iron Tail Dragon, No Trigger]**

 _The sheer force of the flames was enough to force Katanaraizer to its knees. The battleroid grunted as it pushed itself up to a standing position. Blazing Core Dragon gave a departing roar before flying hack to its side of the battlefield._

"Perfect, just the card I needed!" Rachel cheered.

Akio hissed as she added the card to her hand. Even though it wasn't a trigger, it was just as bad, if not worse. "At least she wasn't able to superior ride this turn," he reminded himself. "That gives me a bit of breathing space." He took a deep breath in, and let out slowly. "Damage Check."

 **[Damage Check - Cannonraizer, No Trigger]**

"I end my turn."

 _ **Rachel's Turn End**_

 _ **Hand: 4**_

 _ **FR: empty/Blazing Core Dragon/Bellicosity Dragon**_

 _ **BR: empty/Dragon Knight, Sadegh/Gattling Claw Dragon**_

 _ **Damage: Iron Tail Dragon; Dragon Dancer, Barbara**_

 _"Riding Hi-Powered Razier Custom!" Akio called. "And I call a Battleraizer, and a second Hi-Powered Raizer Custom to rearguard!"_

 _ **[Hi-Powered Raizer Custom - 8000]**_

 _ **[Hi-Powered Raizer Custom - 8000]**_

 _ **[Battleraizer - 3000]**_

 _Katanaraizer's form was engulfed in a golden glow as its body shifted into that of the blue battleroid, Hi-Powered Raizer Custom. An identical battleroid joined its side, and Battleraizer likewise received a duplicate._

"Now my rearguard Hi-Powered Raizer Custom attacks your vanguard. Since Battleraizer is in the same column, Hi-Powered Razier Custom is getting another eight thousand power!"

 _Hi-Powered Raizer Custom slammed its fist together as its body was bathed in golden light. As Battleraizer gave up it's power, the flow doubled in intensity._

 **[8000 + 8000 = 16000] vs [9000]**

"Still not using Battleraizer's boost ability?" Rachel asked.

"Still wouldn't help," Akio replied.

Rachel frowned, but nevertheless nodded slowly. "No guard."

 **[Damage Check - Berserk Dragon, No Trigger]**

 _Blazing Core Dragon screeched in pain as the giant metal fist smashed into the side of its face._

"Now my vanguard attacks!"

 **[8000 + 8000 = 16000] vs [9000]**

 _Weary but resoluter, Blazing Core Dragon watched as the second blue battleroid charged forward with the same blazing golden light._

"No guard."

 **[Drive Check - Minimum Raizer, Critical Trigger]**

"Awesome!" Akio cheered. "All of the effects go to my vanguard!"

 _Hi-Powered Raizer Custom delivered a crushing punch to the side of Blazing Core Dragon's head. The flame dragon, finally having had enough, shook its head as it let out an enraged crier. Unperturbed, the blue battleroid delivered a second punch, directly into the dragon's core. Blazing Core Dragon fell to the ground, gasping for breath._

 **[Damage Check - Blazing Core Dragon, No Trigger]**

 **[Damage Check - Blue Ray Dracokid, Critical Trigger]**

"And I end my turn with the best lead possible," Akio declared.

 _ **Akio's Turn End**_

 _ **Hand: 5**_

 _ **FR: empty/Hi-Powered Raizer Custom/Hi-Powered Raizer Custom**_

 _ **BR: empty/Battleraizer/Battleraizer**_

 _ **Damage: Cannonraizer**_

"Nice, very nice," said Rachel as she stood her units and drew a card. "However, I don't think you realize your predicament."

"I've already got you at five damage," Akio pointed out proudly. "And since you wasted an attack on my rearguard, I'm only at one damage. My lead is secure. There's no way you can recover from this."

"Now who's being arrogant?" Rachel asked with a sneer. "Let's see if you can walk the walk, shall we? I call Iron Tail Dragon to rearguard!"

 **[Iron Tail Dragon - 7000]**

"And using Blazing Core Dragon's skill, I superior ride! Arise my Avatar from the scorching depths of the earth! Lay waste on my enemies and feast on their seared flesh!"

 **[Blazing Flare Dragon - 10000]**

"Now for my assault!" Rachel declared. "It's time to change the course of the battle. I'll be calling Kimnara and Dual Axe Archdragon to rearguard."

 **[Demonic Dragon Mage, Kimnara - 6000]**

 **[Dual Axe Archdragon - 10000]**

"With Kimnara's skill, I'll be eliminating the Battleraizer behind your rearguard!"

"You're not targeting my intercept?" Akio asked in surprise.

"Of course not," Rachel scoffed. "I'm targeting the real threat. Now, Bellicosity Dragon attacks your vanguard!"

 _The spike-studded dragon roared as it barrelled towards the blue battleroid. Hi-Powered Raizer Custom crossed its arms across its chest as it braced for impact._

 **[9000] vs [8000]**

"I guard with Cannonraizer!"

 **[9000] vs [8000 + 5000 = 13000]**

"Now, with the support of Sadegh, My Avatar attacks! Go, Blazing Flare Dragon! Unleash your Immortal Flame!"

 _Blazing Flare Dragon took a deep breath in as he built up the heat inside its body. He leapt towards Hi-Powered Raizer Custom and released the fiery inferno in a blast so intense the air itself seemed to wither._

 **[10000 + 3000 + 5000 = 18000]**

"No guard," said Akio. "Even if you get an unlikely double critical, I'll still be in the lead."

 **[Drive Check - Dual Axe Archdragon, No Trigger]**

 **[Drive Check - Gattling Claw Dragon, Draw Trigger]**

"I draw a card. The power goes to Dual Axe Archdragon."

 **[Damage Check - Masuaraizer, No Trigger]**

"Now, Dual Axe Archdragon attacks your vanguard!"

"No guard," said Akio confidently.

 **[Damage Check - Maximum Raizer, No Trigger]**

"That's all for my turn."

 _ **Rachel's Turn End**_

 _ **Hand: 5**_

 _ **FR: Dual Axe Archdragon/Blazing Flare Dragon/Bellicosity Dragon**_

 _ **BR: empty/Dragon Knight, Sadegh/empty**_

 _ **Damage: Iron Tail Dragon (D); Dragon Dancer, Barbara; Berserk Dragon; Blazing Core Dragon; Blue Ray Dracokid**_

"I've got you right where I want you," Akio declared.

"Really?" Rachel asked with a sly smile. "Because I still don't think you can beat me."

"You're at five damage, which means one attack will finish you," Akio said as he pointed a finger at her damage zone. "And I have just the attack for the job."

Rachel raised an eyebrow. "I've got five cards in hand," she pointed as she waved her cards in the air. "Not to mention an intercept on the field. No attacks are going past me."

"Really? Because I have just the thing to beat you!" Akio declared. "I ride, my trump card, Perfect Raizer!"

 _One of the Hi-Powered Raizer Custom was engulfed in blinding white light. It's form grew in size as it changed into a new battleroid. This battleroid was crimson in color, with gold, green, and white as complimentary colors. It stood high above the heads of the other battleroids, and its impassive gaze struck fear into the hearts of every being on the battlefield._

 **[Perfect Raizer - 11000]**

"With his skill, all of my Raizer rearguards move to the soul! And I call Maximum Raizer, Katanaraizer, and Masuraraizer!"

 **[Maximum Raizer - 10000]**

 **[Katanaraizer - 7000]**

 **[Masuraraizer - 9000]**

"You're putting Masuraraizer in a column alone?" Rachel quierred.

"Yeah, without Jetraizer I don't have a surefire way of standing, so there's no point in putting something behind Masuraraizer for a bonus that'll only go off if I get a stand trigger, when Maximum Raizer will get a certain power bonus when his column is full."

Rachel shook her head ruefully. "Haruki, tell this guy why he's an idiot."

"Okay!" said Haruki cheerfully. He turned to Akio. "You're an idiot because Rachel says so!"

Akio looked at Haruki blankly. "That... doesn't make any sense," he said.

Rachel facepalmed. "Haruki, stop playing around," she said with a sigh. "This loser is already wasting enough of my breath on his own."

"I'm not a loser!" Akio declared as he slammed a hand down on the table. "And by beating you, I'll prove it! Now, Maximum Raizer attacks your vanguard first with the support of Katanaraizer! With Maximum Raizer's skill, since there's another Nova Grappler in his column, an extra two thousand power!"

 _Maximum Raizer charged forward, it's green exterior gleaming in the sun as it stretched out its fist. Blue energy from Katanaraizer swirled around it in an elegant, dangerous spiral._

 **[10000 + 2000 + 7000 = 19000] vs [10000]**

"That extra two thousand is still one thousand short from making an actual difference," Rachel said. "Bellicosity Dragon intercepts! And Blazing Core Dragon guards!"

 _Blazing Flare Dragon watched as the green battleroid's fist approached. He knew he was too weak to withstand the impact, but instead of attempting to flee in panic, he stood his ground and prepared to retaliate with the little strength he had left._

 _Thankfully, the vanguard was spared from that necessity. Bellicosity Dragon shoved the powerful dragon out of the way, leaving itself to be destroyed. Furious and still brimming with left over energy, Maximum Raizer Charged again. This time, it was met by Blazing Core Dragon, who blocked the attack with its wings. Maximum Raizer used its other fist to grab Blazing Core Dragon and tossed it aside. It turned to Blazing Flare Dragon, who glared in rage at the destruction of its comrades. Realizing that it had expended too much of its energy fighting through the other two flame dragons, the battleroid retreated to safety._

 **[10000 + 2000 + 7000 = 19000] vs [10000 + 5000 + 5000 = 20000]**

"Perfect Raizer attacks! With his skill he gets three thousand power for ever Raizer in the soul. Also, since he has four card with 'Raizer' in their names in the soul, he's got an extra critical as well!"

 _Perfect Raizer surged with golden light as it drew on the power of each battleroid that had gone into it. Gears turned as its power to grow in magnitude, until it was functioning at two hundred percent of its normal capacity._

 _Blazing Flare Dragon growled as he observed the crimson battleroid. He planted himself onto the ground and readied his shoulder-mounted gatling gun. In the back of his mind, he knew he couldn't survive this fight on his own, but he wouldn't let that knowledge stop him from trying._

 **[11000 + 3000 + 3000 + 3000 + 3000 = 23000] [Critical]+1 vs [10000]**

"You can't stop this attack," Akio declared. "You've got a grade 3 in hand, and Gattling Claw Dragon as well. Even if your other cards aren't grade 3, you still won't have enough shield value to stop my attack if I pull a trigger. And once my attack goes through, you'll need a double heal trigger to survive. I win."

Rachel was silent for several moments as she stared at the field. She examined her opponent's formation, her hand, and then Akio's face. "You know what I don't get?" Rachel asked as she gave Akio a flat look. "You act like a big wuss and do your whole 'I'm weak and totally cool with it' routine when it looks like you can't win, but whenever you take the lead your confidence rises to a level of childish arrogance."

"And this coming from who exactly?" Akio countered. "You said I was so pathetic that I didn't even deserve to play the game, and yet I'm about to beat you!"

Rachel's eyes widened in realization. "Ah, I think I get it now. I got you mad, is that it?"

"No!"

"She totally got you mad," chirped Haruki. "Your fists are clenched and shaking like you're about to punch something, or having a ceaser."

Rachel raised an eyebrow. "You mean he's having a seizure?" she asked.

Haruki nodded vigorously. "Yeah, he's having a seizure!"

"I'm not having a seizure!"

"Maybe not, but you do have a case of immaturitis," said Rachel with a smirk.

"You won't be smiling when I beat you!" Akio declared. He placed his hand on the top card of his deck. "Twin Drive!"

"Hold on," said Rachel as she pulled two cards from her hand. "You think I'm going to let that attack go through? No chance. I discard Dual Axe Archdragon, and Wyvern Guard, Barri negates your attack completely."

 _Perfect Raizer charged forward with a speed almost two fast to track. Blazing Flare Dragon readied its aim as it prepared to give his all, even in the face of defeat._

 _A loud cry caused the flame dragon to halt. Recognizing the sound, he relaxed and dropped his defensive stance. Perfect Raizer didn't even bother to question the action, as it pulled both of its fist in for the strike._

 _The battleroid lunged, but found its attack halted by a barrier emulating from the body of a red, dragon-like glider. The glider's owner gave the battleroid a cheeky grin. Grunting in annoyance, the Perfect Raizer tried to punch its way through, but to no avail._

 **[11000 + 3000 + 3000 + 3000 + 3000 = 23000] [Critical]+1 vs [10000 + Nullify = Nullify]**

"What?" Akio gasped.

"Yup, I've been saving this guy for a while," said Rachel. "Go for your Twin Drive; maybe you'll get something. Though since you didn't have Masuraraizer attack with another unit in the back row, you won't be getting an entire column standing this turn even if you do get a stand trigger."

Akio gritted his teeth as he revealed his twin drive. "I won't lose," he said as he flipped up the first card.

 **[Drive Check - Hi-Powered Razier Custom, No Trigger]**

 **[Drive Check - Jetraizer, No Trigger]**

Akio sighed. "Nothing there," he announced dejectedly. "And since Bellicosity Dragon intercepted, I've got nothing else I can do. I end my turn."

 _ **Akio's Turn End**_

 _ **Hand: 3**_

 _ **FR: Masuaraizer/Perfect Raizer/Maximum Raizer**_

 _ **BR: empty/empty/Katanaraizer**_

 _ **Damage: Cannonraizer; Masuraraizer; Maximum Raizer**_

"Standing and drawing," said Rachel with a malicious grin. "So, do you still think you stand a chance?"

"Of course," Akio scoffed. "I'm using my own deck, and I've got a solid lead that I haven't let go of. By next turn you'll be out of cards to defend with, and my Perfect Raizer will finish you off."

Rachel nodded. "Well, at least you got the right idea," she said. "However, if you think you're going to beat me so easily, you're dead wrong." She narrowed her eyes and declared, "Final Turn!"

"I don't think so," said Akio. "I've got an intercept and three cards in hand. You have a scattered formation. What could you do to deal three damage with those odds?"

Rachel narrowed her eyes. "Calling Mahogara and Kimnara!"

 **[Demonic Dragon Mage, Mahoraga - 5000]**

 **[Demonic Dragon Mage, Kimnara - 6000]**

"Kimnara skill," Rachel continued as she flipped over the Dragon Dancer, Barbara in her damage zone. Bye, bye, intercept!"

Akio placed Masuaraizer in the drop zone. "I still have three cards," he reminded himself. "She can't beat me this turn. All I have to do is survive one more round of her attacks."

"And now, my Avatar's soulblast! Get out of here, Katanaraizer!"

"You're destroying my back row?" Akio asked as he moved the card to the drop zone. "Why?"

"Because the back row is the row I can't target in combat," Rachel replied with a roll of her eyes. "But not that it matters at this point in the match. Sadegh's ability! I move him to the soul, and you choose one of your rearguards and retire it."

Akio looked at his only remaining rearguard. "Maximum Raizer will be retired then," he said with a sigh. He looked over his field. When he had attacked his formation had been almost full, and now he didn't have a single rearguard. He clenched his fist tightly as he prepared for the incoming onslaught.

"Now it's time for battle!" Rachel announced. "Dual Axe Archdragon, start this off by attacking the Vanguard! And remember, since Perfect Raizer has none of his Raizer friends to support him, he loses two thousand power!"

 **[10000 + 3000 = 13000] vs [9000]**

"I forgot about that," Akio said with a grunt. "But I can still survive this. I guard with Hi-Powered Raizer Custom!"

 **[10000 + 3000 = 13000] vs [9000 + 5000 = 14000]**

"Now my Avatar, rip that battleroid apart! Show him that perfection is a myth! True strength doesn't come from creating a shiny new undefeatable weapon! True strength comes from taking the broken and refining it through the searing, excruciatingly painful flames until it comes out the best in can possibly be! Unleash your Immortal Flame!"

 _With a roar that shook the entire valley, Blazing Flare Dragon leapt into the air. He tore through the skies, letting his rage and bloodlust fuel the flames inside of him. It was time to avenge his fallen comrades._

 **[10000 + 3000 +3000 +3000 = 19000] vs [9000]**

"No guard!" Akio declared. "But unless you pull a double critical, I'll still beat you."

"And what makes you think I need to pull a double critical?" Rachel asked with a raised eyebrow.

Akio waved around the two cards in his hand. "Mahogara doesn't have enough power to attack my vanguard," he said. "And I have two cards in my hand to guard with. Two criticals is the only way for you to take me out this turn."

"But I don't need two critical triggers, only one," said Rachel. "Mahogara's power is twenty thousand, and you have fifteen thousand shield value in your hand, plus the nine thousand power of your vanguard. If I get Dracokid, I can give the crit to my vanguard and the power bonus to Mahogara, which will be enough to finish the job."

"What?"

"Seriously, it's basic math," Rachel deadpanned. "I don't even like math and I find it a simple addition problem. Do you fail at school as badly as you fail at this game?"

"I'm not a failure," Akio growled.

"That's what you think," said Rachel. "Dracokid, I'm counting on you!"

 **[Drive Check - Dragon Dancer, Barbara, Heal Trigger]**

"Fail!" Haruki announced loudly, startling Akio.

"Haruki, go back to being quiet," Rachel ordered. "We're busy here."

"I'm too excited!" Haruki chirped. "Just reveal the final card already! It's the moment of truth!"

Rachel sighed. "Power to Mahogara, and now for the second check…" For a moment Rachel hesitated as her hand hovered over the top of her deck. She slowly lowered her fingers, slid the top card off the deck, and _slowly_ turned it over.

Akio bit his lip, determine not to jinx his chances of winning.

 **[Drive Check - Blue Ray Dracokid, Critical Trigger]**

"No way!" Akio exclaimed.

"All right!" Rachel cheered. "All effects to Mahogara!"

 _After taking a deep breath in, Blazing Flare Dragon unleashed his Immortal Flame. It surrounded Perfect Raizer in a cyclone of fire so intense that even its all of its perfection the battleroid could not withstand it. When the attack finally ceased, Perfect Raizer collapsed in the center of a molten crater._

 **[Damage Check - Perfect Raizer, No Trigger]**

"All to Mahogara?" Akio echoed.

"Why him?" Haruki asked.

"Don't question it," said Rachel. "And now, he attacks! Finishing blow, be consumed in flames!"

 **[5000 + 5000 + 5000 + 5000 + 5000 + 5000 = 30000] [Critical+1] vs [9000]**

"I... don't have enough to guard with."

 _Brimming with power, the half-dragon mage lazily shambled up to the fallen Perfect Raizer. The other battleroids could only watch helplessly as the mage raised his staff and gulfed Perfect Raizer in flames for the second time._

 **[Damage Check - Perfect Raizer, No Trigger]**

 **[Damage Check - Raizer Crew, Draw Trigger]**

 _The heat of the flames proved too much for the battleroid. Its form shattered, and with it so did the forms of the other battleroids. Akio's spirit, left without a vessel, was forced to leave the planet Cray._

 **Fight End**

 **Akio:**

 _ **Hand: 2**_

 _ **FR: empty/Perfect Raizer/empty**_

 _ **BR: empty/empty/empty**_

 _ **Damage: Cannonraizer; Masuraraizer; Maximum Raizer; Perfect Raizer, Perfect Raizer, Raizer Crew**_

 **Rachel:**

 _ **Hand: 3**_

 _ **FR: Demonic Dragon Mage, Mahoraga/Blazing Flare Dragon/Dual Axe Archdragon**_

 _ **BR: empty/empty/empty**_

 _ **Damage: Dragon Dancer, Barbara (D);**_ _ **Berserk Dragon; Blazing Core Dragon; Blue Ray Dracokid**_

"I was so close to winning..."

"Like I said, you need to get a lot stronger before you can beat me," said Rachel with a shrug as she packed up her cards.

"I almost had you!" Akio exclaimed. "If you hadn't gotten so lucky with your triggers-"

"I wasn't lucky this match," Rachel interrupted him. "I couldn't get the right cards in my hand when I need them, performed a late superior ride, and only three of my triggers activated when I needed them. You, on the other hand, stayed lucky with your triggers, and only on your final turn did your luck run out."

"But I was so close…"

"Not really," said Haruki. "You were doing okay, but Rachel was always on top of this match. You were just flailing around like a sun bathing fish and getting lucky tail slaps in her nose!"

"Sun bathing fish…?" Akio echoed.

"Point is, you weren't doing as well as you thought," Rachel stated. "Doing damage isn't a sign of winning unless you're also in control of the game, which you weren't." She leaned over the table. "You've got a lot more to learn if you want to come close to my right now, you're just a pathetic wate of my time."

Akio rested his clenched fists on the table. "I wanted to beat you just to get you off my back, but now you're making it personal! One day, I will beat you!" he declared. "I'll come back stronger than ever, you'll see!"

Rachel watched impassively as Akio stormed out. "Well, he's got spirit, but he's wasting it on fighting me with words instead of cards," she commented. "Frankly, he's pretty bad at both."

"Actually, he almost had you there," Haruki pointed out. "Perfect Raizer would have been able to take down your defenses even without any other rearguards for support. He did pretty good! Especially for a noob!"

Rachel snorted. "He still wasn't good enough."

Haruki grinned. "You're just mad that he's able to keep up with you even though he has no clue what he's doing!"

"I am not!"

"You're angry! That means I'm right," said Haruki in a sing-song tone.

Rachel grabbed Haruki by his messy mop of hair and dragged him from his seat, ignoring his protests and flailing limbs. "If you want to go ahead and joke about my skills, then let's have a fight ourselves," she said. She slipped her deck into one of her jacket pockets, and pulled out a second deck from another pocket. "But this time, I'm going to play _seriously_."

Haruki gulped and gave Rachel a sheepish smile. "Can't we just forget I said anything?"

Rachel gave Haruki a broad, feral grin. "Nope."

* * *

 **This chapter was disappointingly short. I want to try to keep the chapters around 8-10k in length. At least the next chapter is shaping up to be in the comfortable length range.**

 **Sorry it took so long for me to release this. I wanted to update all my stories at once, and then I got stuck in one of them, and... yeah. Hopefully the next update comes before the end of summer, but no promises.**

 **'Till next time,**

 **-RainEStar**


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